


Take Your Time

by bae (Notearsonlydreamsnow)



Series: VOLTRON AU written by Bae [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Deepthroating, First Time Blow Jobs, First Time Bottoming, M/M, Masturbation, Mutual Masturbation, Neck Kissing, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-11-15
Packaged: 2019-01-20 00:18:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12421155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Notearsonlydreamsnow/pseuds/bae
Summary: SOMETIMES, you just need to write a sequel to the ultimate slow burn summer camp alternate universe fic that you've always wanted.In an effort to be closer to Lance, Keith moves in with Pidge. Dealing with a new life and a new job, he and Lance learn to navigate life together. During all this, Pidge is learning about relationships on her own with her longtime pen-pal, but things don't always go as she thinks - enter Keith as a new support line and best friend.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have not already, PLEASE read Part 1 of the series. It would probably make a lot more sense.
> 
>  
> 
> [GO HERE NOW!!!!!](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12123324/chapters/27495255)

 

 

**_Keith_ **

  
  
  


“So chief, it's your last day?” Keith felt a pat on his back as he wiped his hands off with a rag. “We’re gonna miss you around here.” It was Earl, one of Main Street Automotives’ oldest mechanics. He had known Earl since he was a kid, and the guy was basically family to him. 

Keith turned, smiling what he hoped was an appropriately somber smile. It was true that he would miss the people here, but he was more than excited enough about the new life ahead of him to make up for it. Earl reached out his hand and Keith grabbed a hold of it.

“They say you're gonna go down to college. Now you didn't tell me that one.”

“Oh, no, I’ll just be living in a college town.” Keith wondered where that one came from. Most of the people around here were much older than him, and prone to bending the facts a little in an attempt to make him look better in their eyes. “Can't rule it out, though.” He added at the look on Earl’s face - he hated correcting the rumors. It was always painful to disappoint. 

“Well whatever you do I'm proud of you. Glad to see you get out of this town and be around people your own age.” 

“Me too.” 

“Give your old man Earl a hug.” Keith obliged. Hugging Earl reminded him of hugging Hunk. He knew Earl thought of himself as a father figure to Keith, and Keith had no idea how to express his appreciation of it. So he put everything he could into that hug. “Call or write when you can so we know you're doin’ okay.”

“I will.” They waved goodbye, Keith heading to the lobby to turn in his keys.

“Keith!” Betsy turned from a customer at the front desk for a moment, “I’ll be right with you, hun.”

Keith waited, settling in one of the chairs lined against the wall. He could see everyone working in the garage, a couple waving to him with smiles. He waved back. 

Main Street Automotives was built in the 50s, and it looked like it hadn't been scrubbed since then either. The walls (once white) were a faded yellow, with red trim lining every corner. Big windows faced Main Street, which wasn't much of a main street, considering. There was a nail and hair salon, a diner, the walgreens, and a tiny souvenir shop that housed objects of questionable origin. 

He watched Betsy take the customer’s keys (that customer was Andre, with a beat up Ford that always seemed to need some attention) and send him away. Keith stood.

“You retirin’?” Betsy chuckled. Keith smiled. Betsy was always cracking herself up. Keith pulled out of his pocket the keys he used to open and set them on the counter. 

“In a way, yeah.” He sighed, leaning against it. Betsy was always easy to talk to.

“Well I'm excited for you. Moving to a big city. You're gonna be alright?” She knew Keith’s reclusive nature, and was one of the only people here sensitive to it. “It's not gonna be too much for you?”

“I'll have my friends. It's not really a big city, just a medium sized one. It’s nice...right next to the mountains.” 

“Well remind me to come visit.” She took the keys, separating them from the ring. “Dion wouldn't like it but I could use a vacation.”

“You're welcome anytime.” She smiled and reached her hand out to his, squeezing it. Her hands were cool and rough - Betsy was known to work in the back from time to time. 

“Well you have fun. Let me know when you're gonna sell that house. Leanne is looking.”

“I will. Thanks for everything.”

“Bye hun.”

Keith walked out the front door, mounting his bike and heading to the house. He waved at Betsy one last time before turning the corner.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

He was surprised, but somehow not surprised, that Allura was already there waiting for him. He saw the moving truck parked out front, backed up to the garage of the little house. The truck was comically huge compared to the amount of things that were set to go into it. It was huge even compared to the house if he looked at it too long. 

He walked up to the truck, the back of it and the garage door open. There were a few things - his bed frame and mattress, and the little side table that usually sat next to them. _How did she do all of this already?_ _Was Shiro around?_

He heard shuffling come from inside his house.

“Shiro?” He called tentatively.

“No silly.” Allura appeared in the doorframe that led to the kitchen. “It's just me. Shiro had to stay in Chicago, remember?” 

“Oh...yeah…” Keith raised his eyebrows. “You got the mattress and bed frame in already. I figured someone else might be here.”

“Oh, no. It wasn't difficult.” She laughed, disappearing again. “Though I'm glad you're here now, I seem to be at a stopping point. Where are all your things?”

“Oh, I mean...all my clothes are in a duffel bag, and I have a box with some books and important papers in it. Other than that…”

“You don't mean to tell me you've been living this minimally all this time? There's not even food in the fridge.”

“Oh, yeah, well I usually eat out.” Another perk of living around older people - he was always being fed. He tried to brush off Allura’s expression. Keith wasn't sure he liked being criticized for his way of living. 

“Well, in any case, we’re ready to go as soon as you say the word. Though I do wish I hadn't rented such a big truck…”

“Oh, sorry. I'll pay you back for it.”

“Nonsense.” Allura smiled. 

Keith quickly went down the hall. There were only two bedrooms, one of which was full of his dad's old things. He looked inside for just a few seconds, mentally saying a goodbye before going to grab the duffel bag and box. 

Allura had gathered up a few things from the living room - some pictures in their frames, a clock, and some of the few cooking utensils he had that probably hadn’t seen the light of day in over five months.

“I’m assuming you don’t want the table held up by cinder blocks...do you need the couch?” Allura had a special kind of look on her face clearly reserved for people she pitied. The couch was a worn down, moth-eaten piece that had clearly been used for years. He was pretty sure his dad had gotten it for free. He felt a pang of shame and annoyance at her expression - he wished Shiro had come. 

“No. I don’t need most of this.” Allura looked relieved.

“Well, then let’s be on our way.” She picked up the box of things and they both headed outside.

Once they had loaded up everything plus his bike (loaded meaning ‘perched awkwardly in the front corner of the truck and shut the door’) they drove out, away from all of the little buildings and businesses he had called home. He looked out at it, memorizing the way the sun hit the colorful tiny houses in the afternoon light. They headed through the only real intersection in town, with the only streetlight, and after that Keith felt like he could finally look forward. 


	2. Chapter 2

 

 

**_Pidge_ **

  
  


The inside of the apartment was a  _ mess _ . Plants, electronics, a small pile of soldering irons, toolboxes, boxes of papers and more made their temporary homes around the carpet, table and kitchen counter. Hunk sat on the couch, napping after the effort of bringing most of Pidge’s belongings up to the third story. It was dark outside, almost 8 o’ clock. Pidge sat on a barstool at the counter, reading a letter. 

 

_...I know I'm being silly, worrying about what I'm going to do after I graduate. But I don't have any prospects. I guess I'm going to go work for my dad again, so that shows how much this degree got me. If I could, I would move there, so at least I could be with you. Sorry, is that too much? Don't worry, I'm not going to barge into your new place any time soon. _

 

There was a knock at the door. Pidge jumped, folding the letter and quickly putting it on top of the fridge. Hunk mumbled, sitting up on the couch blearily. 

“Coming!” Pidge ran over to the door, swinging it open. Allura and Keith stood there, Keith with a duffel bag and a box in his arms, Allura carrying an entire end table with drawers. 

“Hello!” Allura smiled, and with no effort whatsoever walked in, Keith behind her.

“Hey.” Keith looked breathless but happy, and he put down his things to receive a hug from Hunk. Pidge grinned from ear to ear. 

“You finally made it!” Hunk laughed, and Keith patted Hunk on the back weakly, clearly being squeezed past his physical capabilities. Once he let go Pidge was right there, locking him in a considerably gentler embrace. “It feels like it's been years.”

“It's been three months, Hunk, you softie. How was the drive?” Pidge stood back from Keith, hands on his shoulders, examining him. “You look…dirty.”

“We left as soon as I finished my last shift at the shop.” Keith sighed. “But it was fine. Allura is extremely...efficient.” 

“Well you're early. I thought you were Lance.” 

“Where is Lance?” Pidge took pleasure in Keith’s blush, smirking. 

“He called a couple hours ago - he's on his way. He had to break away from his sister’s wedding. He was best man of honor or whatever.”

“That's…” Keith shook his head. “That's too adorable.”

“I know. I almost puked when I heard. Anyway, it takes about three hours for him to drive down so he should be here in like half an hour or so. Unless he's speeding.”

“He has a car?”

“Borrowing his dad’s.” 

“Ah.” Keith looked over at Allura as she walked back into the living room. She smiled, but the corners of her mouth twitched.

“Well I don't think I can leave without helping you sort this out.” She flipped open a nearby box of computer parts. “Let me go out to the car and grab the last of the things. Then we can finish up.”

“Oh, I can help you.”

“Don't worry about it.” She brushed him off easily, and Pidge raised an eyebrow as she left. 

“Did she seriously carry that entire end table up without breaking a sweat?” Pidge asked, not-so-subtly.

“Yeah. And the only thing that's left are a box, my mattress and a bed frame. Which apparently she can carry by herself.” 

“Hardcore. But also - that's it? That's all of your stuff?”

“You don't accumulate much living like I do, I guess.” Keith shrugged. “Allura had some things to say about it too. So, where's my room?”

“Your room? We're sharing.”

“Oh.” Pidge relished the look on Keith’s face for a moment. 

“I'm just kidding. Yours is the one at the end of the hall. I took the bigger one, which is good, since you have practically nothing. Hope you like plants!”

She picked up Keith’s duffel bag and led him into the room. It was small, smaller than Keith was used to, but it would fit his bed and that was all he really needed. The end table was placed neatly in the corner with a lamp on top of it. Keith was not sure where the lamp came from.

Allura, with some hidden monster strength, successfully brought Keith’s mattress and frame into his room, and then spent the next hour making a serious dent in arranging Pidge’s things neatly throughout their living space. Pidge had a difficult time allowing Allura to touch her things, panicking whenever she opened a new box. Eventually, though, the mess was much less overwhelming, and every plant was placed strategically so that they each got some light. Pidge rolled her eyes. It was going to be a mess again in less than a week - but she didn’t mention that in case Allura made plans to come back on a monthly basis. 

She looked at the clock, wondering just where Lance was right now.

As if by magic, there was a knock. Keith, who had been sitting on the couch with Hunk, learning to play one of the many obscure card games Hunk loved, stood suddenly. 

“Hold your horses.” Pidge caught Keith’s eye, who tried to look normal and failed. She chuckled, opening the door. 

“Oh my god.” Lance busted through, words going a mile a minute. “We were stopped on the highway for like, an hour. There was a spill, and like, a truck carrying a bunch of chickens got knocked over.”

“Were the chickens okay?” Allura exclaimed breathlessly. 

“As far as I could tell. But it took them forever to catch them all. I sped all the way here. Why in the hell do you live on the third floor?” He panted. “You know this is going to be a huge pain-”

In that moment Lance saw Keith, standing there behind the couch, looking shy but excited. Despite all their sappiness, Pidge was really rooting for them.

“Hey.” Lance said softly. Keith walked over to him. Pidge glanced at Allura - how much had Keith told her or Shiro? By the look on her face, he had divulged something of their relationship at some point. She was smiling a little with her hand on her heart as though watching the end of a romantic comedy. 

Keith said nothing, only embracing Lance in a solid grasp. Everything was quiet as they hugged, and Pidge found herself wishing they would kiss - but they kept it in, each blushing deeply. Absence really did make the heart grow fonder. 

“Okay okay, enough of that.” Pidge waved her hand as they broke apart. “Remember my rules.” She pointed directly at Lance. 

“We know!” He whined, taking Keith’s hand in his. 

“Well, I ought to be leaving. There are still a few things left in the old house that need clearing out.” Allura hugged each of them, even Pidge, who was deeply aware of the mixed feelings every hug gave her. 

“Are you sure you don't need help with that?” Keith was clearly puzzled by this organized superwoman who seemed capable of much too much for a single human. 

“Of course not, just a few bulk things. I’ll stay there tonight and then be on my way.”

“Well, thanks for everything. Really. Say hi to Shiro for me.”

“I gotta get going too.” Hunk stood, stretching. “I still have a project to finish by tomorrow. See you again soon, Keith.”

“This is what I get for getting here late.” Lance scratched his neck sheepishly as they left. 

“Well if you think for a second I'm leaving you two alone in here, you're wrong.” Pidge crossed her arms. “I know how long it’s been. I know what boys do.” She wagged her finger in the same way she imagined a grandma would, tsking. 

“We get it.” Keith covered his face with his hand. “I know it’s late, but why don’t we get something to eat?” 

“That sounds perfect.” Lance stretched. “I can drive us somewhere. What do you feel like eating, Pidge?”    
“You guys go ahead. I’m gonna hang back. I think I might need to sleep soon.” Pidge yawned. The truth was, she didn’t need much sleep at all. But she knew they wanted some time together, and she needed some time alone. 

“If you say so.” Lance patted her on the back, and then they were gone too. 

After she heard their steps fade down the staircase in the hall, she went and took the letter off the top of the fridge. It was shorter than most of the ones she had gotten before. She was eager to finish it. 

 

_ It would be nice to have a roommate though. I am so jealous of Keith...he gets to live with the coolest person I know. I don’t really feel independent or like an adult right now. Living with my dad, I still feel like a little kid. He even does my laundry sometimes. I really wish he wouldn’t do that... _

 

_ Anyway, this is getting really boring for you I’m sure. Write me back soon! Tell me all about your apartment. Can you send me a polaroid? I need more stuff to decorate my room after taking down all of my highschool posters. Plus I want to know what Keith looks like...it would help complete the picture of your life in my imagination. Maybe take one of yourself for me? Also, are you really gonna get a dog??? I never know if you’re joking or not!!!  _

 

_ At least I’m using my degree when I write my letters to you.  _

 

_ Love, _

 

_ Alex _

 

Pidge set the letter down, and began to write her own. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you forget that this was in the 80s? That’s why no cell phones. SKABOOSH

 

 

**_Lance_ **

  


They headed down the staircase, gripping each other’s hands, flush with the excitement of being together again. They had made a few phone calls during the last couple of months, though it seemed like Keith’s schedule at home was capricious and they were few and far in between. But still they had kept up the attraction even from afar. Lance thought of those few phone calls - and then very quickly tried not to think of them as he started to become aroused. He led Keith to his car and they leaned against it. It was dark in the parking lot, with the moon being the only source of light.

“I would offer to take us on my bike, but I honestly don’t know my way around here.” Keith stretched. “It’s been so long, and I didn’t really visit this city much anyway. Are you okay with that?”  
“Well yeah, I owe you one anyway.” Lance bumped his hip gently against Keith’s. He felt actual butterflies in his stomach. “I”m happy to drive my…” He paused, thinking for a moment. Keith looked at him, and Lance could barely make eye contact - the moon made Keith’s eyes look even bigger than they already were. Were his eyelashes that thick when they left camp? What was he supposed to be thinking about again?

“Boyfriend?” Keith offered, and Lance smiled.

“So we’re declaring it now? We’re boyfriends? Are you my _date_?” Lance wiggled his eyebrows. Keith laughed and nodded, and Lance got distracted by his arms. “Wait, did you keep working out after camp?”

“Well, yeah…” Lance ran a hand over his shoulder in awe.

“Man. I did not. I sat on the couch the whole rest of the summer!”

“That’s okay. I do miss swimming though.” Keith turned so that he was facing Lance. “Maybe you could be my swimming buddy again sometime. Our apartment complex does have a pool on the roof.”

“Woah, fancy. I’m in.” Lance pushed himself off the car so that he could look directly at Keith. He had missed him more than he could say. Right now, it was as though something else possessed him, and he knew he could not wait any longer. Slowly, he pushed Keith against the passenger side door, taking his time to press their hips together, holding Keith’s face as they kissed. He could feel Keith’s hands on his back, pushing up underneath his shirt, skin against skin. When he felt Keith’s tongue on his bottom lip as he began to reach beneath the hem of his jeans, Lance broke away, already getting uncomfortably hard.

“I don’t think I’m very hungry right now.” Keith was struggling too. Lance pushed their hips together more firmly.

“Me either.” Lance pushed off of him, pulling Keith away from the door so he could unlock it. As quickly as he could, he popped up the lock of the door to the back seat, opening it up.

“You first.” Keith smiled, and Lance liked the look he gave him. He sat facing Keith, and then shifted back as far as he could go, as Keith crawled in, shutting the door behind them. “I want to try something.”

“Do whatever you want.” Lance breathed. This clearly emboldened Keith, and he watched him reach over and pop open the top button of his pants. “I’m not gonna last long like this, just a warning.” The little smile Keith gave him at the remark only reinforced it. Lance was glad he wasn’t standing up when Keith began to rub him over the top of his jeans.

Slowly he unzipped his pants, and Lance helped him pull his jeans and underwear down just enough to uncover him. He was so hard and so starved for Keith’s contact - when Keith began to drag his tongue over his dick he immediately reached down to place his hand at the base of his neck as if by reflex. Keith began to move his mouth over the tip, taking him in bit by bit. It was driving Lance crazy. He moaned, and this made Keith grip him, beginning to move more quickly and intensely.

“Keith,” His entire body tense with pleasure, Lance could barely get out the words, “You’re going to make me come.”  
Keith lifted up off of him, letting go. Lance gripped Keith’s arms, eyes screwed shut, concentrating. He had already been so incredibly close, it took a concerted effort to stop himself. Once he felt a little more secure he opened his eyes, seeing that Keith had sat up, one hand against the roof, while the other was unzipping his pants.

“Lance,” Keith pushed down his jeans, “tell me what you want.”

Lance’s throat went dry. Keith was doing something to him that no one had ever done before.

“Take off your pants.”

Keith obliged, sliding his pants and underwear down to his knees. He sat back as Lance moved forward, kicking them off. Lance steadied himself over Keith, beginning to lean down - but Keith’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.

“What do you want, Lance?” He was smiling, and it shot through him like electricity. “I want to hear you say it.”

Lance looked up at Keith. This was hotter than he knew it would be; their first time after this long, and it was making him dizzy. He ran his tongue over his lips.

“Please let me suck your dick.”

He felt Keith’s hand slide up to the back of his neck and pull. Lance took him in his mouth, glancing at Keith for a moment to see if he had any affect on him. He clearly had - Keith was no longer smiling but looked warm and flushed. Now it was Lance who smiled. He wanted to try something too.

Keith groaned as he took him in his mouth, Lance going slowly so that he didn’t set him off too quickly. He gripped him and began to go lower and lower with his mouth, taking more of him in each time. Eventually he removed his hand, running his hands over the skin on Keith’s stomach. He felt his penis hit the back of his throat, and pushed until his nose was pressed against his lower belly.

Gripping the hair on the back of his head now, Keith groaned and shifted, clearly trying not to choke Lance. Lance enjoyed the reaction, lifting up slowly.

Lance began to go faster, taking Keith in deep twice, relishing the way he seemed to reduce him to a speechless mess.

“Lance…” Keith gripped his shoulder urgently, “I’m coming...y-you’re making me come.”

At this, Lance gripped Keith, holding still while he finished. The noises Keith made were so much better than anything he had heard on the phone, anything he had heard from him before. Lance wanted to smile but it was a bit hard to - he waited until Keith was done, lifting gingerly off of him and swallowing. His lips felt numb. Keith looked wrecked.

Lance was pleasantly surprised when Keith gripped his shoulder, pushing him back and sitting up in the process, immediately spreading kisses across his neck. Keith gripped him, stroking, but only for a moment before he bent down, clearly intent on returning the favor.

“Fuck…” Lance bent over Keith, running his fingers through his hair. “Be careful...don’t hurt yourself.” He gasped, laughing. Keith only moaned in response. Keith was clearly trying to take him in as deep as Lance had. It all felt amazing to Lance, who closed his eyes and moved his hips gently in pleasure.

It only took a minute before he was coming too, and to his surprise Keith seemed to be determined to do all that Lance had done, clamping down as he came. Lance grasped Keith’s shirt, trying to maintain some control over himself and failing. For a minute he didn’t speak, trying to regain some composure, Keith’s head in his lap.

“Well I’m definitely hungry now.” Lance sighed, pulling up his jeans and boxers. Keith sat up, looking tired but pleased.

“Let's go then.” He struggled a bit to put on his pants.

“Wait, not so fast.” Lance stopped him just as he managed to cover himself again. He shifted close to Keith, kissing him slowly. Then he pulled away, enjoying his dazed expression. “Okay, now let's go.”

“How did you do that?” Keith moaned as they got out of the back seat and moved to the front.

“Do what?” Lance started the car and they headed out of the parking lot.

“You...took all of it. In your mouth. I can’t do that.”

“I had practice before.” Lance shrugged. “Plus it turns me on.”

“Well...me too.” Lance looked over at Keith for a second, seeing that he had closed his eyes.

“Hey, I have a question for you.” Lance reached over, lacing his fingers into Keith’s. Keith held his hand tightly.

“Go for it.”

“On a scale of one to ten, how much would you like to come home with me? Meet my parents? Maybe some of my siblings?” Keith turned to look at Lance, whose eyes were wide and eyebrows drawn. “So...that’s a seven…?”

“I’m not really sure.”

“No need to rush. They’ve just been asking about you. They love pressuring me about this stuff.”

“You told them about me?” Keith didn’t sound flattered or excited. More like panicked. “We only just decided that we were boyfriends!”

Lance bit his lip.

“Well, yeah, of course I did. I mean…it felt wrong not to.” He glanced at Keith again. “In my experience...usually people have the opposite problem. Like I don’t tell my parents about them and then they lose patience. I thought you’d be happy.”

“I don’t know how I feel about it.” Keith ran his fingers through his hair, and though Lance was worried at his response, he still found the capacity to notice how sexy it was. “I’ve never had to deal with someone else’s parents.”

“They’re really nice, I promise. But I don’t expect you to meet them right away. You take your time, okay?”

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Keith turning his face to him, considering.

“Yeah, okay.” He sounded less upset now. “Sorry. I just don’t know how to be around parents. And siblings. How many did you have again?”

“Five.”

“I can’t even picture that. Like, having five siblings.”

“It’s a blast. You’d like them, if you like me.” Lance ran his thumb across the side of Keith’s hand. Keith smiled at this. He breathed a sigh of relief.

“Okay.” Keith nodded. “I’ll let you know.”

Lance smiled, and he sat back, already imagining bringing Keith home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t forget to always know your partner’s health status, kids.


	4. Chapter 4

 

 

**_Keith_ **

  
  
  


It wasn’t that Keith didn’t want to meet Lance’s family. It was just…

So many things.

Keith was starting the second week of his new job, which in many ways was exactly like his old job, just with a cleaner shop and different faces. He passed some of the time working just matching up his new coworkers with his old ones, as if his new ones were some kind of reboot. 

But now he was getting distracted again by Lance’s suggestion of meeting his parents.

He had so little experience with parents before. Even when his dad was alive, he was always a little bit distant. Keith was used to being solitary, never really part of a family. Shiro was the closest he had, but even then he had moved away the second he was able to. 

He was already feeling the pressure - parents had  _ expectations.  _ And what did he have? A job as a mechanic? No degree? No real aspirations? Certainly no parents. What if they tried to adopt him? Can you adopt an adult? Keith realized that he had completely paused his work when he heard a voice behind him. 

“Look alive, Keith!” It was Jet with the deep voice, harassing him again. “We ain’t got all day!” 

“Sorry.” Keith busied himself again, feeling rushed. Jet was like a meaner version of his previous boss. Speaking of expectations...there were a lot more here than before too. He struggled to keep up. 

Eventually his shift ended, and he was allowed to go home. Another interesting thing about this town was getting used to the sheer amount of pedestrians - it was nerve wracking to avoid them all. At least it was easy for him to navigate the sometimes narrow, sometimes busy streets on his bike. But he definitely couldn’t go fast. 

Pidge was home, and jumped when he walked in. The door had been unlocked, though, so Keith tried not to feel bad. Pidge quickly folded up some papers.

“Writing to your buddy?” Keith took care to lock the door behind him. Pidge shrugged. 

“Was work okay? Made any new friends yet?” She smiled, ignoring his question. Keith made a mental note of it. 

“No. I think Jet hates me.”

“Jet hates everyone.”

“That’s reassuring.” Keith sat down on the couch. “This job is a lot more fast paced.” 

“A lot better paying though, right?” Pidge sat next to him. 

“Like three times better.”

“See, I told you I’d hook you up.” Pidge elbowed him playfully. “You’ll get into the groove. There’s just a lot more customers.”

“You got that right.”

They sat for a few moments. Pidge was one of those people with whom it was easy to maintain a comfortable silence. But Keith couldn’t keep quiet for long. 

“Why won’t you tell me about your pen pal?” 

At this, Pidge have him a disparaging look. Keith raised an eyebrow, silently challenging her. Finally, she sighed and shook her head.

“I don’t know. It’s personal.”

“Well you’re always in my business. Don’t I get to know about yours? I thought you didn’t get embarrassed.”

Pidge sat for a moment, crossing her legs and arms. Keith prepared himself for another rejection. 

“I guess this is just one of those things that I like having to myself.”

Keith nodded. 

“Well, if you ever want to talk about it, I want to hear. I won’t judge, I swear.”

She looked at her toes, nodding. 

“Hey, you up for a movie tonight?” Pidge hopped up, looking adventurous. Keith yawned. 

“That sounds great. I could use another evening nap.” Pidge pouted, kicking his foot.

“Hey, Blade Runner is a classic. It’s going to be one of those movies that spans generations.”

“Insomniacs everywhere are thankful for the existence of Blade Runner, I’m sure.”

“You just don’t appreciate good cinema.”

“Who says? I’m appreciating it right now. What do you want to see?”

“Well, I don’t know. There’s a new German foreign film everyone is talking about.” 

“Perfect.” Keith smiled at Pidge, who rolled her eyes before getting up to grab her keys. 

“So Lance says you might meet his parents soon?” Pidge wiggled her eyebrows as they left the apartment. Keith felt his throat constrict.

“Ah, so you know about that.” 

“I’m guessing you’re not into it.”

“Oh?”

“Just a hunch.”

“Well…” Keith sighed. He wanted to choose his words carefully. “I’m just nervous. Plus it’s not like Lance has any parents to meet on my side. I just didn’t expect this so soon. And I’m not really boyfriend material. They probably won’t like me.”

“There are definitely some good points and bad points in there.” They got into Pidge’s car. It was funny seeing Pidge drive - she looked like a little old lady barely able to see over the steering wheel. “For one, you are so boyfriend material. You’re cute, you have a job, you can take care of yourself and you treat Lance well. As long as they last part holds true none of the rest of it really matters. For another, they like everyone. Seriously. But I do understand wanting to wait it out.” 

“You think I’m cute?”

“Hey, that wasn’t the point. But duh, everyone thinks you’re cute.” Keith couldn’t help but feel a bit flattered.

“I just don’t know if I could deal with it right away. I wish I never had to. Not that I want Lance to have no parents. I just…” Keith rubbed his hand over his face, then regretted it when he realized he didn’t properly clean his hands after work. He looked down and saw grease. “Great. Now I look like a coal miner.” Pidge glanced at him.

“It really only adds to the attractiveness.” She shook her head. “Honestly Keith. Tone it down.” 

Keith laughed, trying to wipe his face off on his shirt.

“Seriously though...Lance isn’t gonna do something that makes you uncomfortable. He’s just excited. Plus it’s a little creepy when he gets with his family - like a hive mind. You’ll have to forgive him for that one. I don’t think Lance relates to his family at an arm’s length like a regular person. It’s all up close and personal.”

“That isn’t making me less nervous.”

“I’m not trying to do that, I’m trying to prepare you. They are just…very…loving.” Pidge smiled ironically. “They’re going to try to adopt you. They already did it to me when they thought I was his girlfriend.”

“Well, that answers at least two of my burning questions.” Keith drawled. He was very tired. “Have you ever dated anyone Pidge?”

Pidge didn’t answer right away. He turned, looking at her. She started to bite the nails of her left hand. 

“Yeah.”

Keith wanted to pry (he was so often the subject of discussion), but left it alone. He could be satisfied for now. 

But he was not going to leave it alone for long.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

Pidge had put a phone in his room, on the condition that he only use it to call Lance after 5, when most of her clients weren’t at work. Lance took this to mean call every night at 5, which was perfectly fine with Keith. He stretched out on his bed, phone to his ear. 

“How was work?”

“It was good. I’m tired as always though. You said you have a shift tonight right?” Keith yawned, rolling over and curling up. He really could sleep right now. How was he tired all the time? Briefly he imagined sleeping in Lance’s arms, which he hadn’t done lately, because of Pidge’s wishes. He hoped he could wear her down.

“Yeah. I close at 2.” Lance worked as a bartender near his parent’s house, which meant that there was only a small window of time during which they could talk. “I’m getting tired of this job, to be honest.”

“You said that yesterday.”

“I know. I just don’t know what else I can do right now. I’m going to be tired of it forever, I guess.”

“Let’s brainstorm then.” Keith closed his eyes, hoping he wouldn’t mumble himself to sleep. “What can a marine biologist do in a landlocked state with no ocean?”

“Become a fish farmer.”

“Hey, I got that on a career evaluation test once. Fish farmer. You know - cause that’s applicable in the desert.” At this, Lance laughed and then groaned. 

“Okay, so not that. I could study like, ponds and lakes, or something. Work for the National Parks.” 

“That actually sounds pretty cool. We could live in the forest together. Next to a lake.”

“I hate to break it to you but I’m not too hot on the idea of living by ourselves in a cabin in the woods.”

“Aw.”

“Well plus there are forest fires. A lot of them.” 

“Crush my dreams, why don’t you.” 

“Can I tell you what I really want?” Keith could hear Lance sigh wistfully into the phone. 

“Please.” 

“I want to move to Monterey Bay and work for the aquarium. I want to be near a beach and the ocean.”

“Then you should do that.” Keith’s voice was soft. 

“Not without you.”

He was quiet for a moment. Moving to California was big, but then again he had only just moved across states. There was a lot about being an a hot climate again that appealed to him. 

“Is it crowded?”

“Woah, are you really considering this?”

“Yeah. I could get a job anywhere. You’re the one with aspirations.” Keith chuckled. 

“I couldn’t leave my parents…” 

“We don’t have to move tomorrow. I mean, I have a lease to finish out. It could just be a someday plan.”

This time it was Lance who paused. 

“I never took the thought seriously before.” He finally spoke up, contemplative and quiet.

“Then what did you go and get a degree in marine biology for, anyway?” Keith stretched, letting out a moan. “Would your parents be they upset if you left?”

“They’d probably be happy.”

“Then I’ll go ahead and take the credit when we move.” 

“You can have it.” He could hear Lance’s smile in his voice. “Hey, are you touching yourself right now?” Lance added in the second part so casually that Keith had to take a moment to fully understanding his meaning. 

“What!? Are you serious?” Keith was incredulous. “You’re thinking about that while we’re having an important life discussion?”

“Mmm...I can’t help it if I find your willingness to commit so sexy.” Lance had that husky tone in his voice, indicating to Keith that he really did have his hand down his pants. 

“I don’t even know what to do with you right now.” 

“I do.”

Keith’s nostrils flared. He was both irritated and turned on. 

“How about this...save yourself for me. In person.” Keith spoke in the sultriest voice he could muster. “How am I supposed to practice when we’re so far apart?”

“Practice what?” He could tell Lance wasn’t stopping. 

“Taking you in my mouth, down my throat. Swallowing your dick whole.”

“You’re not making this easy you know.”

“I could start making it awkward.” Keith’s tone changed to a more casual one. “Let’s see...should we talk about Pidge? She’s probably outside eating leftover shrimp scampi.” 

“Hot.”

“I’m going to hang up on you now. Plus you have to get to work.”

“With this boner?”

“Good luck Lance.”

“Goodbye my sexy Harrison Ford lookalike.”

“I do  _ not _ look like Harrison Ford.” He could hear Lance cracking up as he hung up the phone. 


	5. Chapter 5

 

 

**_Lance_ **

 

  
“Hey, kids!” Lance opened the door to Pidge and Keith’s apartment. Both of his friends sat on the couch together, playing what looked like pong. To his surprise, Hunk and someone unfamiliar were in the kitchen. He also saw two new loveseats parked on the other side of the room from the couch.

“Hi-iii.” Keith and Pidge greeted him in unison. Pidge snorted at this.

“I think we’ve been hanging out too much, Keith.”

“You’re probably right about that.” Keith replied with humor. Lance noted that he seemed to be in a good mood today.

“Lance!” Hunk was busy in the kitchen making something that smelled Italian,

“This is Shay. Shay, Lance.”

Shay walked over to him, holding out her hand.

“Nice to meet you.” She was pretty, and the kind of girl that seemed perfect for Hunk. Lance smiled and took her hand for a moment, squeezing it. She was also very strong - his hand felt like it was wrapped in a vice.

“Likewise.” Lance tried to appear good natured, but couldn’t help looking over her shoulder, trying to catch Hunk’s eye. Hunk shrugged, blushing. “We missed you at camp.”

“Yeah…I couldn’t pass up the chance for a summer internship at the biggest architecture firm in the country.” She looked sheepish. “But from what Hunk said, Keith filled in for me, so it sounds like it worked out.”

“That much much is true.” Lance nodded, “Well I’m glad to finally meet you. How long have you guys been going out again?”

“Lance!” Hunk stopped what he was doing to look at him, exasperated.  
Shay visibly blushed, her eyes widening. Pidge made a noise in the background that sounded somewhere between a snort and a derisive chuckle. Keith rolled his eyes.

“Uh, Lance, why don’t you take over.” Pidge got up, brandishing the controller toward him. “I wanna help Hunk in the kitchen.”

“My pleasure.” Lance bounded over to where she was standing, taking the controller and plunking himself down beside Keith. Pidge went into the kitchen, Shay following after.

“Smooth.” Keith whispered to him, and Lance grinned.

“I try.” He looked at Keith, and for a moment he forgot about everyone else in the apartment, leaning over and kissing him softly on his cheekbone. Keith gave him a half smile. “So Pidge finally got you into video games it looks like.”

“She didn’t have to work hard.” Lance could tell that Keith was putting on airs. He wanted to disappear with Keith and shower him with kisses. “I’m already getting pretty good.”

“Oh yeah? Maybe I won’t be beating you as bad as I thought.”

Keith pursed his lips.

They began an intense game of pong - or rather, 6 intense games, during which Lance beat Keith soundly each time.

“Hey!” He heard Pidge’s voice, annoyed, from the kitchen. “You need to go easy on him!”

“What? No one told me!”

“Okay, one more.” Keith was flushed, looking competitive. Lance wanted to jump his bones immediately.

“Alright, But I’m not going easy on you.” Lance nudged his knee playfully. Keith was too focused to return the favor.  
The last round, Keith finally won - though that may or may not have been due to Lance in fact going easy on him. Keith tossed the controller onto the couch, laying back.

“Don’t work yourself too hard there champ.” Lance turned himself toward Keith, resting his head on his hand jauntily. “Save all that energy for me later.” Keith shoved him backward onto the couch in response. Seeing this, Pidge immediately piped up again.

“Hey! Don’t embarrass yourselves. We have company.”

Lance looked at Shay, who was still blushing. Hunk seemed to be too busy with food to really notice what was going on - it was never easy to tell whether this behavior was on purpose or not.

“So I was thinking...that new place on walnut street opened up last week. I think we should go check it out.” Lance sat up, scooting close to Keith again.

“Don’t you spend enough time in bars to get sick of it, Lance?” Hunk began to dole out food onto paper plates.

“It’s not a bar, it’s a club. Complete with a bar.”

“Count me out.” Pidge took her plate of spaghetti and meatballs and plopped down on the couch next to Lance.

“That sounds fun, actually.” Shay chimed in. She and Hunk pulled up with their own plates, each handing one to Keith and Lance respectively, sitting in the new chairs across from them. It took every effort Lance had not to give Hunk a hard time for nodding at her in response. If anything, the adventure would at least help them figure out what was going on between them.

“Keeeeith?” Lance nudged Keith, jostling him as he ate his garlic bread. Keith groaned, mouth full of food.

“Fine,” he swallowed his bite, “But not because I want to. I’m doing this for you. Remember that later.”

“Oh, I will.” Lance rubbed his hands together. “C’mon Pidge, you know you want to.”

“I really know that I don’t.”

“What can I do to get you to go with us?” Lance picked at her sleeve. “I’m too good of a friend to let you be the odd one out.”  
Pidge thought for a moment, eyeing Lance warily. If there was anything Pidge liked, it was a chance to get Lance to owe her favors. Lance knew this well - it was the reason she ended up with the very console they played pong and pac man on.

“You pay for any drinks I want. I also want that coffee table your parents are always saying they want to get rid of.”

“Done.” Lance declared, digging into his food.

“So you go to clubs often?” Keith twirled spaghetti around his fork, giving Lance what was clearly his best suspicious expression. “I don’t know how I feel about this.”

“Oh, no. I don’t.” Lance did not miss Keith looking at Pidge for confirmation - and Pidge nodding back. “I just like going to new places. Last time, it was the tea factory.”

“That was way more fun.” Hunk laughed. “So many samples.”

“See? I know how to have a good time.” Lance examined his nails smugly. “You’ll see. It’ll be fun. We’ll just do it however we want to.”

“As long as it’s not in the house.” Pidge warned. Keith snorted, blushing, and quickly busied himself with his food.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

They eventually arrived, taking two separate cars (Hunk wanted to drive with Shay, and the other three were more than willing to oblige). They had to descend into a basement floor through a door marked only with a painting of two cherries, of which Hunk was quick to point out the obscenity. The place was edgy, dark floors and a dark bar with dark trim. Luckily, it was packed with patrons and there seemed to be no real dress code or expectations. Just a lot of people drinking and dancing.

“You want anything?” Lance leaned against the bar, running his fingers down Keith’s forearm.

“Uh...maybe just a beer. I have work tomorrow.”

“Don’t forget me.” Pidge shoved herself between them both. “I want a rum and coke.”

“Comin’ right up.” Lance got all three of them drinks, ordering himself a martini - after bartending all day, he liked to be adventurous. It was good to know what the drinks he made actually tasted like.

Once Pidge found out that there was a giant jenga set on a patio somewhere, she disappeared. Shay and Hunk quickly sank into the crowd, presumably dancing where no one could see them. Keith’s glances at him did not escape him. He knew that Keith wasn’t big on displays of affection, always preferring to go somewhere just out of sight (even if it was a bit dangerous). Perhaps the darker atmosphere would change his mind.  
Lance was elated when Keith finished his beer and took his hand, leading him into the midst of the dancing crowd. He had never pegged Keith as a dancer. And he was right - Keith didn’t dance, instead taking Lance by the hips and pulling them together. Lance leaned forward, just enough for the movement to be an invitation. Keith took it, kissing him, the taste throwing him back to memories of their first kiss.

They allowed themselves the moment, which turned into at least a minute, until one of the dancers in the group cut in. Lance could see the unpleasant expression on Keith’s face as he was edged away, a taller blonde man trying to cut in and dance with him. It took a more than a small effort for Lance to escape the vicinity, grabbing Keith’s hand and pulling them both away.

“What the hell?” Keith yelled over the noise, just loud enough for Lance to hear. Lance curled a hand around his waist apologetically. They went up a spiral staircase, the same that Pidge had gone up, to get as far away as they could.  
The staircase led out onto a patio, where they indeed saw Pidge. She stood on a stool next to a stack of two-by-fours, which looked like they had been stacked up to be almost twice as tall as her. She was placing one of the blocks on the top of the tower, pulling her arms back theatrically as the rest of the players whooped and clapped.

“At least someone’s having fun.” Keith seemed to lighten a little, watching Pidge as she was admired for her jenga skills.

“Hey.” Lance ran a finger down Keith’s spine. “I’m sorry about that.”

“It’s not your fault.” Keith shrugged.

“I was the one who suggested the place. Things like this happen and I know that. I know that way too well.” He thought over the times he had seen people grossly hit on others at the bar back home.

“Well that guy better watch out.” Keith leaned into him. Lance was thoroughly enjoying his change of heart regarding PDA. “I kinda wanted to punch him.”

“I won’t lie, that turns me on.” Lance laughed when Keith did. They watched the jenga tower crash to the floor. It appeared that Pidge’s opponent, a very large and muscled woman who was only a head shorter than the entire stack, had lost the game. There were many cheers all around as she and Pidge shook hands and began to re-stack the game, more people asking to join.

“I’m gonna get another beer. You need anything?”

“I’ll have one too.” Lance sat in a chair at one of the tables scattered around the patio. He watched Keith leave, admiring all that his back view had to offer (which was quite a bit). While he waited he watched the people playing form teams, arguing good naturedly over whose team Pidge should join.

To Lance’s chagrin, the blonde man appeared in the doorway, glancing around. Lance tried to look smaller, facing away so that he might not be noticed. But of course he was noticed, and despite every signal against it the man made a beeline toward Lance as soon as he spotted him.

“Hey.”

Lance crossed his arms.

“Uh, hi.” He put on an uncharacteristic, unfriendly tone.

“I saw you dancing downstairs.” The weirdest part about it was that this guy sounded perfectly normal. He didn’t even seem drunk - just completely oblivious.

“That...was probably someone else.” Lance had not been dancing. He had been kissing Keith. Was this guy for real?

“No man, it was you.” He sat down, and Lance slowly scooted away. His chair made horrible screeching sounds against the concrete. “What, I’m not allowed to talk to you?”

“I just came here to hang out with my friends. And my boyfriend. Who will be back in a second.”

“You don’t need that guy.”

Lance said nothing.

“C’mon. You would turn away a friend?”

“I don’t know you.” Lance saw Keith reappear, walking toward them with two beers in one hand and an extremely unpleasant expression on his face.

“Hey, what the hell is this?” Keith handed Lance both of the beers, planting himself between them. “He’s taken.”

“Let the guy speak.” This person didn’t seem to understand boundaries, standing up and inching closer to Keith, clearly trying to be intimidating.

“No thanks.” Lance raised his hands defensively. Keith had that look that he recognized from many a bar fight. “Keith, let’s just ignore him.”

“This guy isn’t gonna leave us alone.” Keith was on a one way track and Lance knew he wasn’t going to be able to stop him.

“What are you gonna do?” The man snorted, crossing his arms. Lance looked over at Pidge, who seemed to be engrossed in team jenga. He waited a few tense moments before Keith visibly relaxed, turning and extending his hand to Lance.

“Let’s go.”

Lance was relieved to hear the calm in Keith’s voice. Keith pulled him up and they started toward the exit. But the tranquility didn’t last long. As they tried to leave, the man gripped Keith’s shoulder.

“Hey, I didn’t say you could -”

Before he could finish the sentence Keith shoved his hand away, pushing his palm square into the guy’s chest and driving him down onto the concrete.

“You want to try touching me again?”

Lance was familiar with a lot of Keith’s negative moods - irritation, anger, disappointment. But he had never seen controlled rage quite like this, from him or anyone. As the guy struggled to get up, a gaggle of the jenga players came over to stand between him and Keith. Lance was still, too shocked to move.

“What happened? I saw you guys just in time to see Keith shoving that guy.” Pidge came running over, frowning at the expletives the blonde man was now spewing. Luckily, a couple people were holding him back, while Keith stood calmly.

“We should probably get out of here.” Keith began to walk away, Lance and Pidge hurrying to keep up.

They got a hold of Shay and Hunk downstairs, and everyone piled through the door.

“We should just go home. This was a bust.” Lance felt remorseful. He’d witnessed it before but never imagined it would happen to him, much less ruin their night that way.

“Well I had fun.” Hunk’s face was glossy and Shay looked pleased.

“I mean, you putting that guy in his place was pretty badass, Keith.” Pidge practically had to jog to keep up with Keith’s gait.

Lance looked at him, concerned. His hands were clenched into fists, and he had an expression on his face that he didn’t quite understand - was it anger? Regret? Something about it was familiar but in the moment all he could feel was worry.

“I’m ready to go home.” Shay stretched as they walked. “I have to get up so early.”

“Hey.” Lance pulled Pidge behind far enough to where they were out of earshot. “I think I messed up. What are the chances that you can stay with Hunk tonight?”

“Pretty much 100%. Hunk and I have had an agreement from the start. Though I wasn’t thinking this was going to be the reason.”

“Pidge, I owe you one.”

“Just get me that coffee table. Plus, I had fun.”

Lance squeezed Pidge’s shoulder in gratitude.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 


	6. Chapter 6

 

 

 

_**Keith** _

 

 

  
Keith didn’t question why Pidge didn’t go in their car, both of them silent on the way back to the apartment. He had too much on his mind. When they got out and headed up the stairs, he felt like he had tunnel vision, needing only to get back into the apartment to where it was safe. Lance hurried behind him.

When they finally got inside and Lance shut the door behind them, Lance immediately started to talk. But talking wasn’t what Keith wanted to do in the least. He turned, stalking back toward Lance.

“Keith, I am so sor-”

Keith cut him off with a kiss, gripping the back of Lance’s head passionately. Something in him right now was on fire, and his need to be with Lance consumed his brain. Lance jerked back at first, but settled into it quickly.

“Don’t be sorry.” Keith murmured, planting kisses down Lance’s neck. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“I know, I just...what are you doing?” Keith stopped for a moment, looking at his face, still cradling his head.

“Is this not okay?”

“It is, I’m just surprised. I thought you were mad.”

“I mean, I am. But not at you.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

Now it was Lance who kissed Keith, pulling him close and holding him tight. He felt Lance’s hand on his back, sliding lower to his rear.

Their kisses became deep and more fervent, pulling their shirts off before finally leaving the living room and entering Keith’s bedroom. Lance hooked a finger into the hem of his pants and boxers and brought them down past his thighs, pushing him back onto the bed and kneeling between his legs. Keith was hard, and yet Lance still had no problem swallowing him. He moved up and down smoothly, Keith barely able to hold himself up.

“Lance,” Keith panted, sliding his fingers around his arm and tugging Lance up, “stand for a minute.”

Lance did as he was told, letting Keith slide his pants and underwear down to the floor. He smiled as Keith did the same, each stepping out of their pants and climbing into bed.

They folded in on each other, kissing and holding and touching in ways they hadn’t before. Their stomachs were flush, legs tangled. Keith especially enjoyed the way Lance ran his fingers under his thigh.   
Keith sat up, running his tongue against his bottom lip, opening and reaching into the drawer of his side table. There he had been storing a bottle of lube for when he felt he would be ready. He handed it to Lance, who took it with a deep flush on his cheeks.

As he had hoped, Lance pushed on his shoulder so that he would lie down. His breath caught as Lance settled between his legs, running his tongue up the underside of his dick. He could hear the bottle snapping open and then shut, and Lance’s fingers began stroking him gently.

He had practiced for this. He forced himself to relax while Lance slowly pushed a finger into him. No amount of practice, however, could prepare him for the stimulation overload that was Lance attempting to suck him dry like this, while at the same time fingering him slowly and confidently. He reached down out of a near panic.

“Lance...just stick to the fingers.” Lance smiled mischievously at this but respected his wish, sliding his finger in deep. Keith groaned. “More.”

Lance seemed more than happy to obey, gingerly adding a second finger, apparently helpless to the temptation to drag his tongue across his scrotum while doing so.

After some time Lance was able to fit three fingers, and Keith began to get impatient. He sat forward, Lance pulling his hand away slowly.

“Lay back.” Lance did not have to be told twice. Keith grabbed the lube, pouring it into his hand and stroking him with it. He crawled up over his legs and torso so that he was straddling him, reaching back to take a hold of his penis and press it against himself, his other hand on Lance’s ribcage.

Slowly, very slowly he pushed back, grimacing as he was stretched. When Lance reached forward and began to rub him, he saw stars behind his eyelids. It was either pain or extreme pleasure, with no in between. How did people do this all the time?

“Just be slow.” Keith requested, moaning when Lance increased his grip and took his time. He managed to sink down completely, his ass against Lance’s hips while he took time to adjust. “Fuck, that’s so good.” He was shaking in the effort to hold himself up. He opened his eyes to see Lance biting his lip, smiling when their eyes caught.

“Don’t hurt yourself.” He groaned when Keith began to move, swiveling his hips slowly. It was beginning to feel amazing - too amazing. Way too amazing for this to last. He planted his hands onto Lance’s chest, goosebumps covering his body. He moved forward, then back again, so that Lance slid in and out of him. “God, Keith…”

“I might come soon.” Keith was strained, and clearly Lance was too - Lance began to stroke him much more quickly.

“Please do.” Lance whimpered. “I can’t hold out.”

“Good.” Keith ground his hips down, entire body tensed as he came. He was rocked with the most intense orgasm he had ever experienced - made more intense when Lance followed suit, one hand gripping his hip, the other still wrapped around his dick.

Once they both finished the sensations quickly turned to pain, and Keith clenched his jaw as Lance rolled them both on their sides, slowly pulling out of him. They stopped to rest for a minute, though Lance did not appear to be very interested in taking a break as he kissed Keith’s cheek. He gently sucked on his earlobe, stroking his fingers over Keith’s arm.

“What made you want to do that?” Lance whispered, fingers trailing over his thigh.

“I don’t know exactly.” Keith’s eyes were closed, and he felt like he was drifting. “Something about confronting that guy just made me want to…” He scoffed at himself. Lance kissed his collarbone.

“You were feeling threatened?”

“No, more like you’re my boyfriend and I want people to respect that.”

Lance put the lube back into the drawer, grabbing some tissues and wiping himself off with them. Keith took one and cleaned up his hand.

“Well all of that was incredibly hot. Now I never want to go home.”

“I don’t want you to go home either.”  
Keith looked up at Lance, who tossed the tissues on the night stand and laid next to him. Keith pulled him close.

“We can at least enjoy tonight.”

The quiet sound of Lance’s breathing was the last thing he heard as he drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GET IT


	7. Chapter 7

 

 

  
_**Pidge** _

 

 

  
It was a most unfortunate emotion that overcame Pidge as she walked in the door of her apartment and saw two boy’s shirts crumpled on her living room floor. Something like abject rage and disgust coursed through her as she grabbed the shirts, stalked over to Keith’s room and threw them against the door. They hit the wood with a soft thump and proceeded to do absolutely nothing to the effect that she was imagining. No one on the other side of the door said anything or even reacted at all.

Pounding on the door with her tiny fists Pidge began to yell.

“Keith!!! Lance!!! If you did it on the couch I’m going to murder someone!”

A thump came from inside the bathroom door behind her, and she realized that she could hear the shower running.

“Pidge?” Lance’s voice emanated from within.

“Doing it in the living room is SO against the rules, Lance.”

“Dude, I can’t hear you. Hold on.”

“UGH.”

Pidge stalked into the kitchen. There was a batch of new mail on the counter. She quickly rifled through it - normally she was the one who got the mail. Did someone go out to get it just to read her stuff?

To her relief there was a letter addressed to her, untampered with at the bottom of the stack. She opened it carefully.

_Pidge!!!_

_Thanks for all the pictures! I have so many thoughts. First, Keith is incredibly handsome. I completely agree, he and Lance together are completely unfair as a couple. Of course, I say this without acknowledging you - the cutest of all. Basically you and all your friends are so good looking that I feel like a goblin. Tell Keith that he’ll get into the groove of his new job soon. I’m sure it’ll just take time. How’s that motorcycle of his doing? How is Lance and his parents?_

_Your apartment is great! So many cool gadgets and plants. I’m a bit of a plant murderer but I’d love to check some of your gear out._

_Man, I’m already working at my Dad’s office on weekends. He wanted me to get a “head start” so that I’d have something to show on my resume out of school, but I know he’s just hoping I’ll stay there. Being a clerk is just soooo great. Can you read my sarcasm? I wish I could be a freelancer but no one has a need to commission poetry or creative writing. There’s this cool journal club at school I was thinking I’d try but I’m wary of people. Maybe I’ll just go for one meeting to see what’s up._

_It’s getting harder to hide everything from my dad. He just goes in my room to do chores and I never know when he’ll root around and find a notebook and just flip one open and find out about me. Or maybe he’ll see your letters to me. I gotta admit Pidge, I feel like you’re the only person who understands my life. You really mean a lot to me, so thanks for being there. Do you ever imagine we will be there for each other, but in a closer proximity?_

_I gotta cut this one short. I enclosed some more of my story though, so there’s that. Enjoy! Tell me what you think!_

_Love,_

_Alex_

Pidge flipped through the pages included with the letter excitedly. She would get to this later - Lance finally opened the door from the bathroom and she quickly folded the pages and stuffed them back in the envelope.

Lance sidled over to her fully dressed, hair wet, looking entirely too casual for Pidge’s aforementioned rage. She tapped her fingers on the counter, irritated.

“So you guys think it’s okay to do it in the living room, huh? Is there anywhere in this apartment that’s safe to sit or eat off of!?”

“Take it easy, Pidge! We didn’t do it in here.”  
“Uh, evidence proves otherwise.”

“That’s not very good evidence considering it was only our shirts. Which we took off here, and then proceeded to go into the bedroom.”

“So no...stuff is around here.”

“No stuff. I promise.”

“I thought you and Keith were fighting?”

“No, I mean...I did too. Keith was completely pissed at the situation. But...I don’t know…” Lance blushed a little and Pidge raised an eyebrow. “I guess it did something to him. It’s hard to describe.”

“It’s not that hard to describe. You guys walked in and immediately jumped on each other like animals.” Pidge grabbed a bowl and cereal out of the pantry.

“Where is Keith, anyway?”

“He has work early. Man, he works long days.”

“He doesn’t have to, but I think he wants to make sure I’m not paying more than half rent. Which I honestly could care less about but I guess that’s his prerogative.” Pidge started to dig into her mini wheats. “You know, Keith is a pretty intense dude sometimes. That doesn’t ever bother you?”

Lance took a moment to think. “Well, it scared me last night. I thought he was going to start a fight even before that guy laid a finger on him.” He helped himself to the cereal in the pantry under a mildly dirty look from Pidge. “I guess it only bothers me in that I don’t want him to get hurt.”

“Same. There’s a lot of feelings in him for sure. I don’t really think he can help but feel everything so intensely.”

“I get that.”

“You should tell him that you do. Plus did you know he’s scared shitless to see your parents? Did he even tell you that?”

Lance was quiet, looking at his cereal.

“Kind of, yeah.” He said after a moment.

“I bet it would do you some good to talk about it.”

He nodded, looking contemplative.

“I just don’t want to scare him away.”

“You won’t.” Pidge finished her cereal, slapping him on the back. “Keith is a quality person. He’s not going to leave. He moved all the way out here just to be closer to you.”

At this Lance smiled, taking his empty bowl of cereal to the sink.

“You’re right. I guess I’m just nervous because of summer camp, but in the end he wanted to be here.”

“Exactly. Now get out of my house and think about what you did.” Pidge started to push him toward the door. Lance laughed.

“We just left our shirts on the floor! No one died!”

“Not yet.”

Lance gathered his things and grabbed his keys, saying goodbye and leaving Pidge to contemplate her reply to the letter.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Pidge was happy to see Keith waiting outside the building after her class. He had learned her schedule on Tuesdays, one of his days off, and began to wait for her to have lunch together. She realized that it probably looked like they were dating to her classmates, but it didn’t matter. Most of them were a faceless mass to her anyway.

“I got sandwiches.” He brandished them, holding two delicious footlongs from the new sub shop that opened on the hill. “Turkey or Ham?”

“Turkey. Always turkey.” Pidge took the sandwich as they sat down at the nearest table. It was starting to look like fall, with the aspen trees turning yellow. Keith began to wolf down his sandwich like nobody’s business. Pidge stared. “Uh...ya hungry?”

Keith nodded, mouth too full to speak. Pidge snorted. Keith was like a wild animal sometimes. Maybe it was from living alone for so long?

“So my pen pal’s name is Alex.” Pidge tried to say as casually as she could, but it didn’t stop the tinge of nervousness she felt when Keith immediately halted his feast to look at her, mouth full.

Self consciously she took a bite of her sandwich as Keith struggled to swallow his.

“What? Are we talking about this now? Officially?” Keith questioned as soon as his mouth came to a more acceptable level of fullness. Pidge struggled not to roll her eyes.

“I guess. But don’t push your luck.”

“No guarantees.” By the expression on his face, Pidge could tell that Keith clearly meant business. He wiped the crumbs from his hands and folded them. “Okay, so how old are they?”

“She’s 22.” Pidge detested the tiny smile Keith gave at this.

“Who is she, exactly?”

“She’s a creative writing major going to college in Philadelphia. She lives with her dad. I met her at an academic conference last year and...we’ve been writing back and forth ever since.”

“So is that it?” Keith had now folded his arms and leaned forward, rapt with interest.

“I dunno.” Pidge shrugged.

“Listen. I’ll trade facts for facts.” Keith resumed chewing on his sandwich. “You tell me something, I’ll tell you something. Juicy stuff too.”

Pidge laughed - the idea was intriguing.

“Okay fine.” She pondered. “Alex tells me things she’s never told anyone.”

“You have that effect.”

“Ha, it’s my life’s work.” Pidge tried to brush it off but she couldn’t help but feel mollified at the observation. “Okay, now you.”

“I was the one who initiated our first kiss.” Keith raised his eyebrows, smug. “You know, me and Lance’s.”

“Oh good, I thought maybe you had kissed Hunk or something.”

Keith glared at her, but waited patiently for her next statement.

“I’ve sent pictures of everyone to Alex.”

“What?! That’s not a fact, that’s a violation!” Keith put his sandwich down, astounded.

“Well I’m basically her only friend okay? I gotta tell her about my life the way she tells me about hers.” Pidge blushed. “Plus she thinks you and Lance are a unfairly attractive couple. Does that make you feel better?”

“Not really! This person better be worth it.” Keith shook his head, fingers pressed to his forehead, clearly stressed. Pidge felt a tinge of guilt - but deep down she was hoping Alex would meet everyone eventually, and then pictures or not it wouldn’t matter. He sighed, visibly making an effort to be calm. “Okay...my fact next. I guess...I don’t really want to do mechanical repair forever. But I don’t know what to do instead.”

“Really? I never knew if you actually liked your job.”

“I didn’t realize how much it felt like a dead end until this last job, to be honest. At home, most everything stays at a standstill, so you don’t notice as much how your life is just going by. I mean, I’m about to turn 25…”

“Hey, it’s never too late to follow your passion. What is your passion?”

“I’m not sure yet.” Keith rested his head on his hands. “I know I like riding my bike, but Lance would probably have a conniption if I started racing.”

“Huh, true.” Pidge nodded. “I can help you brainstorm if you want.”

“Maybe later. It’s your turn.”

“Hmm...fine.” Pidge leaned onto the table. She had barely eaten her lunch. “I’ve been hoping that Alex will move here, but I doubt she’ll ever be able to. I don’t think she can move away from her dad.”

“What? Is he sick?” Keith’s face darkened in a way that Pidge had rarely seen.

“No, he’s just her only family. And even though she’s been hiding a lot from him, I think she’s going to feel an obligation to stick by him forever.”

“What’s she been hiding from him?”

Pidge thought for a moment, looking at Keith. Normally she would have pointed out that it was his turn, but she wanted so badly to divulge everything, to feel some relief.

“Same thing I’ve been hiding from you guys.”

Keith leaned forward, eyes wide with worry. He was clearly waiting for her to spill.

“It’s your turn.”

Keith snapped out of his reverie.

“What? But what have you been hiding from us?”

“Cough something good up and maybe I’ll tell you.” Pidge folded her arms.

“Fine, Fine.” Keith took a moment to think. “Okay, But you can’t tell anyone this. Not even Lance knows.”

“Cross my heart.”

Keith waited, clearly still unsure of whether to tell her. Pidge could practically feel the bonds of friendship solidifying between them.

“I got a letter from my mom a month before I moved here.”

Pidge was too shocked to say anything, but Keith was quick to follow up.

“It wasn’t like she wanted to meet me or anything. It was more like an apology.” Keith sighed. “I still don’t really know how I feel about it yet.”

“Did you reply?”

“There was no return address. Not that I would have replied if I could have, but still...that definitely hurt. She didn’t even want to hear from me...I feel like she just wanted to assuage her own guilt.”

“That’s...Keith, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be. This is just how my life goes. One emotional bomb being dropped after the next.” Keith ran his fingers through his hair. “But it’s your turn now.” He laid a hand on her shoulder. If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to. But whatever it is, you know I’m here for you.”

For the first time in what felt like years, Pidge wanted to cry just a little bit. She took a breath.

“I like Alex.” She kept her eyes down, looking at her hands. “I honestly didn’t think I was capable of wanting to be with someone like this. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I definitely can tell when someone is good looking, but I’ve kind of always thought I was meant to be alone. Not in a bad way either, I just figured that’s how it would be. Does that make sense?”

“Um...a little?” Keith didn’t seem surprised enough for Pidge’s revelation. “Like, you’ve just never been attracted to someone before?”

“Yeah like...I wasn’t really aware that I could connect with someone on the level that Alex and I have. And honestly, it’s so much better in person than it is over letters.”

“Pidge, why wouldn’t you tell us this?” Keith’s voice was soft. He seemed more sad than anything. “We would never judge you for it.”

“I know that, but I just didn’t want to know how anyone felt about it. Not until I knew how I felt.”

“Well of course we support you. I support you. I mean, look who you’re talking to.” Keith smiled. A Keith smile was a rare thing. Pidge smiled back.

“Okay. No more facts. I want to eat.” Pidge picked up her barely touched sandwich as Keith balled up the wrapper for his. “We can play another round later. Just promise me you’ll remind me to help you brainstorm career moves.”

“Gotcha.” Keith chucked the wrapper, now in a tight ball, and it formed a perfect arc into the nearest trash can.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Later that evening, Pidge sat down to reply to Alex’s latest letter.

_Alex,_

_This is a short one - sorry, but not very sorry - enclosed is my number. Please call me sometime._

_Love,_

_Pidge_


	8. Chapter 8

 

 

**_Lance_ **

 

 

 

It was Thanksgiving, and Lance was still in disbelief that he was driving toward his home with Keith in tow. There was something about it that felt so incredibly right, with Keith in the passenger side as they hurtled down the highway. Keith didn’t seem to mind the speed - he was the only person who didn’t complain at his driving. It warmed the cockles of Lance’s heart.

“So there’s Nina, Robbie, Vinnie, Natalie, and Daniel.” Lance was listing off the relatives that would be present, as there would be quite a few this year. “Vinnie is basically pure evil. Once when we were little he tore off the labels from all my cassettes and pulled out the tape. He also taught me how to use the middle finger, and all that.”

“I’m never gonna remember all this.” Keith looked a little paler than usual. “There’s gonna be so many people. How did I let you talk me into this again?”

“I can turn around if you want. I can tell them we had a flat tire.”

“Just remember that I did this for you. Next time I need something, maybe you don’t want to do it but it would mean a lot to me - just remember Thanksgiving.”

Lance reached a hand over to Keith’s shoulder and squeezed gently at the base of his neck.

“I will never forget.”

They rode in silence. The hit the foothills of the mountains south of the city, and the radio began to play static. Lance switched it off, cranking the heat up a bit more - his dad’s sedan wasn’t very good at heating the space. There was snow in the hills, though the road was dry. Lance silently prayed that he wouldn’t have to drive back in snowfall - though he wouldn’t say no to a few days of being snowed in with Keith.

“Lance?”

“Yeah?"

Keith didn’t speak up right away. He pulled off his gloves, one finger at a time. Lance tried not to become transfixed, turning his eyes to the road.

“Do you feel like this is it?” Lance could see Keith’s face pointed at him in his peripheral vision.

“What.”

“We’ve only been together for a few months but...this is what I want. You and me.” Keith began to fiddle with a loose string on his coat sleeve. “I don’t know. I’m just in a weird mood.”

Lance felt a thrill in his chest. “Hey, I’m the one taking you to meet my whole family. You already know how I feel.”

They watched the hills go by, the snow getting thicker as they drove. It was mind boggling the way the weather seemed to change so drastically in such a short amount of time.

“You know, I was thinking.” Keith sank in his seat a bit, and when Lance looked at him for a moment he could see that he had closed his eyes. “Pidge and I were doing some research, and I think I know what I could do in California.”

Lance grasped Keith’s hand, their fingers cold, weaving together tightly.

“I want to learn how to fly those planes they use to put out wildfires. There’s a lot in California, you know. Some that burn even well into the fall.”

“Isn’t that like...incredibly dangerous?” Lance gripped Keith’s hand more tightly, if that was even possible.

“Maybe. But so is riding a motorcycle.” Keith shifted himself so that he could see Lance’s expression. “I would be good at it, though. Pidge makes parts for a guy who does it for a living, and she set up a long-distance meeting for us in a few weeks.”

Lance felt his chest being squeezed at the thought of Keith flying low over fires, possibly crashing, possibly getting burned.

“Lance.”

He glanced at Keith, and realized his expression was tense. He made a conscious effort to relax.

“Are you sure?” He tried to use a tone that wouldn’t make Keith upset. “I just can’t help but imagine you getting hurt because I wanted to go to California.”

“I’m not going to get hurt.” Keith brought Lance’s hand up to his mouth, breathing warm air on his fingers and pressing his lips to them gently. “I don’t want to do what I’m doing forever. I really want to do something...helpful. Meaningful. Plus flying a plane sounds awesome, not matter what it’s doing.”

“We could bring back your nickname.”

“What?”

“You know. _Blaze._ ” Lance grinned slyly. He could see Keith rolling his eyes, so strong was his annoyance.

“Only if I get to call you Merman again.”

“Please do. Especially when I have your dick in my mouth.”

“Don’t ruin it, Lance.”


	9. Chapter 9

****

 

 **_Keith_ **  


 

 

As soon as they stepped into the house Keith was inundated with the heady smell of cinnamon or nutmeg candles - something that smelled like the wax version of a pumpkin pie - greeted with the sight of pine cones, and became much too warm to be comfortable in the sweater Lance had given him. He desperately wished he could take it off. It felt like it was 80 degrees.

“Is that Lance and his boy?” Keith heard a voice from the kitchen, and he guessed it was Lance’s mom. He felt a strong urge to run away. Lance reached down and squeezed his hand as he steeled himself for a long evening.

A woman a head shorter than Lance and Keith walked into the hallway, arms outstretched. She wrapped Keith in a bear hug. Keith was struck at how much he could see Lance in her face, and even though she was much rounder than Lance, he could see every bit of Lance’s features were an echo of hers.

“I am so glad you could finally visit us! My goodness, you are so handsome.” She smiled at Keith, putting a hand on his shoulder and leading them into the kitchen. “Lance, I need you to clean out the dishwasher. Keith, go ahead and sit at the table. Was the drive okay? Not too much ice on the road?”

Immediately Keith felt Lance’s loss when he went into the kitchen upon his mother’s orders. He sat down awkwardly at the little table covered in plates of rolls and bowls of nuts and candy, wishing he could have something to do as well.

“It was fine, mom.” Lance’s mother busied herself around the kitchen, the counters laden with food halfway prepared. Footsteps could be heard coming down the stairway.

“Hey Lance.” Two boys appeared, looking moderately close to Lance’s age. One of them looked over at Keith. “You’re Keith, right?”

“Uh, yep.” Keith tried to appear friendly, but he had no idea how to do so. Living with Pidge and seeing Lance as often as he did, he was allowed to fall back into his usual mildly grumpy self, though it was easy for either of them to lighten his mood. Keith wanted so badly to relax his face.

“What’s up?” Keith was mildly horrified when they sat down next to him. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. “I’m Robbie, this is Vinnie.” Vinnie extended a hand to pat him on the back. “Lance has never brought a guy home before. Only that one girlfriend.”

“Pidge was never my girlfriend.” Lance piped up, annoyed.

“Why don’t you bring Katie around any more?” Lance’s mom, wrist deep in stuffing, looked anguished. “She was so cute.”

“Mom, you think everyone’s cute. Also, she’s got her own stuff to do. She doesn’t need to be driving with me all the way down here. She’s a senior, you know.”

“What about you Keith, do you go t

“Uh, no. I’m an automotive service technician.” Keith used the phrase whenever he sensed he would need to be assuaging a concerned middle-aged mom or dad type. He had a lot of practice at home.

“Sounds fancy. Where do you go to get a degree for something like that?” Vinnie piped up, looking genuinely interested.

“It was an apprenticeship.” Keith could sense that he was being too tight lipped, too unfriendly, too everything for warm and involved people like this. But he didn’t know how else to be right now, feeling paralyzed, his brain working overtime to figure out what would he could say to please them.

“Wow. I want to do that.” Vinnie grabbed a roll and sat back in his chair. Robbie nodded gently, a judging expression on his face. He looked like Keith had just confirmed something about himself, but whatever it was that Robbie was thinking, he couldn’t be sure. The door in the hallway opened again, and a pile of people walked in, hats and jackets immediately shed all over the entryway.

“Robbie, Vinnie, come help us with the groceries.” A man that Keith could only guess was Lance’s father walked into the kitchen, his skin tinged pink, carrying bags. How many people were they trying to feed here? “Are you Keith?”

“Yeah.” Keith stood, but didn’t know what to do. Should he help too? Lance’s dad unloaded the bags, took off his gloves, and stretched his hand out. Keith grabbed it.

“Nice to meet you buddy. Make yourself comfortable, there’s gonna be a lot more.” As ominous as his words were, Keith felt a tiny spark of relief. By the expression on his face it felt like there was at least one person who understood the nature of his situation. He sat down at the table, dragging a bowl of pistachios over to himself. He had a moustache, which Keith made sure to mention to Lance later - Lance could grow no facial hair and lamented it to Keith as often as he could.

A lot more did come in, and soon enough Keith was surrounded by what he felt like was a group of people who were different variations of Lance. It was soon apparent to him that the family in town was on Lance’s mother’s side, with Lance’s father being the only one who looked like he stuck out. After Keith, of course. Keith noticed that it seemed like he was the only significant other brought to Thanksgiving today. He looked into the living room from his perch in the kitchen, watching a gaggle of Lance’s aunts trade stories and laugh uproariously, which in turn caused Lance’s father to grunt. It seemed like he had endured quite a few years of this.

“So Lance tells me you’re from El Paso.” Keith turned to Lance’s dad, who after a great while had spoken up again, a pile of pistachio shells were stacked on a paper plate in front of him.

“Uh...kind of.” Keith was starving but terrified to take any food. “My dad moved us to a really small town outside of El Paso. But it was the closest large city to us.”

“One of my siblings lives out there. He was the only other one that moved after me.”

“Moved from where?” Keith shifted to hear him better - it was quite loud.

“Cuba. That’s why you see Rachel’s relatives here and not mine.”

Keith nodded. He imagined holidays far in the future, when he and Lance were older, and they would probably be a lot like this. Keith had no family to go home to - only Shiro in Chicago now. He felt a tiny glimmer of connection and knew that Lance’s father would probably be his life jacket during these times - his very quiet life jacket. His unobtrusive silence was like an oasis.

He watched Lance help his mom in the kitchen, contemplating their interactions, their relationship. Keith searched his mind for any inkling of what it was like to have a mother and found none. He wanted to go home and play pong. He thought about Pidge’s description of Lance’s family - maybe it was only her experience, and would not be his. Maybe they just wished Lance was with a girl. Lance looked over at him and gave him the thumbs up, and Keith mustered up the best smile he could.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Eventually, finally, the family gathered around three tables pushed together and covered with tablecloths, laden with bowls and plates and even cups of food. Keith was so hungry he was shaking, and he tried hard not to show it to Lance when they sat down. He wondered if he was supposed to interact more with Lance’s family, or what exactly Lance expected of him.

“So are your parents sad that you’re not home for thanksgiving this year?” Nina, whose name Keith had overheard earlier, asked from across their table. He stopped eating, embarrassed to find nearly everyone had stopped to listen. Maybe they were just being polite - but he felt like he was under a glaring light.

“Nina.” Lance shot her a sharp look.

“Whaaat?” Nina was holding a spoonful of sweet potatoes that she still hadn’t eaten. Keith’s mouth felt dry.

“I never knew my mom. And my dad died when I was in high school.” Keith knew he was being blunt, but everyone might as well know now and get the pity over with.

“Oh.” Nina looked genuinely shocked. She stole a look at Robbie, and then back at Keith, searching for something to say. “Well at least you can come to our house for every holiday.” At this, Lance audibly sighed, shaking his head. Some of Lance’s aunts began their own conversation at the far end of the table, filling the room with noise once again.

“So where’s _your_ boyfriend, Nina?” Vinnie spoke up at the end of the table. Nina narrowed her eyes at him, and Keith busied himself with his food. He felt Lance’s hand find its way to his knee, squeezing it.

While dessert was being doled out and half the family had spread out onto couches and loveseats, Keith excused himself as quietly as he could, trying to find any place he could be alone for a bit. He found his way up to the second story, into what he hoped was a guest bedroom. It looked generic enough - the only room he could see with a bed that was undisturbed. He sat on a padded rocking chair, head tilted up, staring at the ceiling. He wished he could talk to Pidge right now.

“Yeah, I dunno...” Voices were coming up the stairs, accompanied by two sets of heavy footsteps. Keith sat, frozen, suddenly terrified of how weird this would probably look. He waited - they seemed to be going into the room across the hall. “...I mean, he’s the first guy he’s ever brought home.” It was Robbie speaking.

“He’s the first _date_ he’s ever brought home. That girl was just his friend, remember?” A voice Keith now recognized as Nina’s responded.

“I dunno. It didn’t seem like it. And he doesn’t even act the same way around him that he did around her. They were playful. It was cute.”

“Well, just because you don’t get it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be nice.”

“Yeah, but like. From everything Lance has told us, it’s like he found someone to save or something. Lance is going to be the one taking care of them both.”

“That’s always been like Lance.”

Feeling pricks on his face and the back of his neck, Keith began to grind his teeth. What exactly had Lance even said about him? Their conversation made him want to run back home and never look back. The idea that Keith was some kind of project for Lance drew a big, red underline about everything he feared their relationship was turning out to be.

“Plus, I dunno. He just seems a little...eh.”

“He just goes right for the jugular, doesn’t he?” Nina was no longer defending him. He felt a twinge in his gut. “He’s not very friendly. I can tell he doesn’t like us.”

Keith wished he could leave, but for the time being, he was trapped. And if he was being honest with himself, he didn’t want to leave. He wanted to sit there and soak in everything they were saying, and let their opinions stoke the fire brewing in his stomach.

“Keith?” He jolted, hearing Lance’s voice calling up the stairs. The two siblings in the room froze, completely quiet. Keith gripped the arms of the chair he was sitting in as he listened to what was undoubtedly Lance ascending to the second floor, walking down the hallway and stopping in front of the door to the room Robbie and Nina sat in. “Have you guys seen Keith?”

“Nope.” He heard Nina respond casually, as if they hadn’t just been gossiping about him and his boyfriend. “Did you check the basement?”

“Yeah.” Lance appeared in the doorway. “Oh! There you are. Don’t you want some pie?” Keith deflated, just a bit, letting the tension fall out of him. Lance looked around. “Why are you sitting here in the dark?”

He stood up, walking past Lance, saying nothing. He didn’t look at Nina and Robbie - he didn’t want to see the looks on their faces. Lance followed him downstairs.

“What’s the matter?” Keith ignored Lance’s voice, completely nonplussed as to why Keith was grabbing his coat and shoes. He walked out the front door, the frosty air burning his lungs and eyes. Lance followed, without stopping to grab a jacket or shoes.

“I need to go home.” He was so tired. His face ached from trying hard to look friendly. His brain buzzed with fatigue. He felt like he needed a year’s worth of rest.

“I...I thought you were doing okay?”

“I’m not.” Keith couldn’t spend any more energy doing this. “This is way too much. And your family doesn’t want me around, so it’s probably for the best.”

“Look, I know Nina is kind of an airhead. But that doesn’t mean-“

“ _Lance_.” Keith’s voice broke. There was a pause, and he tried to remember how to breathe correctly. Silently, Lance receded into the house. Keith waited outside, his breath puffing around him.

Ten minutes passed, and finally Lance came back out, fully bundled with car keys in hand. Keith couldn’t stand to look at his face right now. _What did Lance think was gonna happen?_ He tried not to blame him but he couldn’t tear himself away from it. Lance pushed him too hard, and now the damage was done. So be it.

In the car, Keith could see Lance glancing over at him nervously.

“Can you tell me what’s going on?”

“I don’t want to talk about it right now.”

The drive back was silent and tense. Lance seemed as upset as Keith felt, and it only served to make Keith feel angrier as the time went on. If anyone should be upset, it was the person who was put on display and judged all night. Lance wouldn’t understand though. His family was everything to him, and Keith was just something that would never be able to conform. Lance was going to see it sooner or later.

Keith spent the time with his eyes closed whenever possible, trying to detox his brain. He sagged in his seat and imagined the comfort of his apartment, with his own room and ability to be alone. Lance stayed miraculously quiet the entire drive - though it didn’t help to calm Keith’s misgivings.

When they pulled up to the apartment, Lance turned to Keith as he unbuckled and opened the door.

“Wait - Keith, please?” Lance unbuckled too, hurrying out of the car as Keith shut the door behind him.

“What is it.” Keith could muster no emotion to spare Lance’s feelings. He looked at Lance’s shoes as he stopped in front of him.

“Can’t we at least talk about this?”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“What does that even mean!? I have no idea what’s going on with you. All I know is that you couldn’t deal with the people who are important to me and I don’t even know if you want to try.”

“I’ve _been_ trying. If you don’t get what’s wrong, then maybe it’s because you haven’t bothered to pay attention. Maybe ask Nina and Robbie what they think of me and we’ll talk. That is, if you want to be with me after they’re through convincing you that I’m just some work in progress you’ve chosen to burden yourself with.” Keith walked around Lance toward the apartment stairs.

“Keith, please.”

Keith continued to walk. His eyes were starting to burn with anger, the cold nearly freezing the tears that threatened to spill.

“I’m sorry you had to drive all this way just for me to disappoint you. If you want to stay on the couch, it’s fine with me.”

“I’ll just go stay at Hunk’s.”

There was a big part of Keith that wanted to turn around, run back to Lance, and hold him close. He wanted to say it was fine, that he was wrong. But the smaller part of him - the one that made him stay to listen to Lance’s siblings, to notice every little negative reaction his family had to him - that part was louder. His heart ached as he descended the stairs, listening to Lance get back into his car and drive away.


End file.
